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Made in us
[MOD]
Solahma






RVA

Inspired by something from the SW Legion N&R thread:
 Albertorius wrote:
 Manchu wrote:
My practice is to always buy additional dice packs at the outset when buying into any FFG line with proprietary dice. But until there is a L5R minis game I think my wallet is safe on this score, generally.
Save up, just in case

Mass battles? Skirmish? Something in-between (like Legion)?

I wonder if there will be "generic" (non-Clan-specific) units, like Ashigaru, and then Clan-specific heroes and units (e.g., Matsu berserkers). Even without Mantis and Spider, seven factions is a lot to support.

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2018/02/19 21:29:09


   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






The original L5R miniatures game, Clan War from AEG tried to support Everything from the Clan War arc (the first storyline). So the SIX Great clans (as Scorpion had been stricken from the system after the failure of the Scorpion Clan Coup), the Scorpion (both pre-Coup, and the revived elements), the Mantis and the Minor clans, the Naga, Toturi's Legion, and the Shadowlands. They did use generic units, but in my limited play experience they seldom saw use. There was usually an in-house unit which was similar but better, so instead of generic ashigaru spearmen a Dragon Clan player would field Dragon Medium Elite.

I enjoyed Clan wars for the brief time it was around. I still have nearly all my armies and I'd play it still if I had more than one set of Tactics cards. Part of the game was tuning the Tactics deck to your style of play, so each player needs their own. That's what prevents me from loaning an opponent an army.

Anyway, for a L5R tabletop miniatures game, I'd prefer mass battles (sengoku jidai as opposed to the smaller battles of the Gempei war). It might be better to use 15mm for a true mass battle experience. However, as the personalities have always been an important part of the L5R storyline, a skirmish scale would lend itself better to that experience. Hunting down and dueling the killer of your father/wife/child and utterly humiliating the killer in the process, that sort of thing.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/19 02:50:59


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Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






 Manchu wrote:

Mass battles? Skirmish? Something in-between (like Legion)?

I wonder if there will be "generic" (non-Clan-specific) units, like Ashigaru, and then Clan-specific heroes and units (e.g., Matsu berserkers). Even without Mantis and Spider, seven factions is a lot to support.


Just remake Clan War. My Defenders of the Wall are ready.

And yes, there should be generic models, this is absolutely a no brainer. It makes it so much easier to produce plastic infantry kits for every army. Generic spearmen, bowmen, cavalry, heavy infantry.

Just give each army specific bonuses to their generic troopers and not include clan specific units that have that same function (and as Ancestral Hamster mentioned, be slightly better than the generics).

For example, Crab Clan heavy infantry would have higher resilience, while Crane Clan would be better swordsmen, but there would be no Crab Clan specific heavy infantry unit unless it did something different, like Defenders of the Wall, who were heavy infantry that also carried longbows, or some heavy infantry unit with Tetsubos rather than Katanas.

   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

What I would want, and what I expect from FFG on L5R for a wargame are two different things.

I think Legion and Rune Wars mashed together is what we would see. I.e. Combat dials with upgrade cards for Clan Specific improvements. I would also expect movement templates and custom dice.


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Made in us
[MOD]
Solahma






RVA

I really hope there are no combat dials.

   
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Denver

Mass battle (whether GW mass battle scale or more SW Legions scale), lots of Unicorn clan. I would be very pleased if they released something that could accommodate that.

Interested in gaming related original artwork?* You can view my collection of 40k, BattleTech, L5R and other miscellaneous pieces at https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=158415

*This means published works by professional artists, not me of course. 
   
Made in us
[MOD]
Solahma






RVA

"Mass battles" tends to refer to games with rank-and-file "blocks" of figures (usually representing many more soldiers than there are actual figures). So think WHFB rather than 40k or SW Legion. The main significance, narrative wise, is that in really big battles you don't have the same focus on characters. Production-wise, mass battle games really profit from being in less-than-28mm scale.

   
Made in es
Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer






I didn't really expect you to follow up to that

Well, at the current date all I can really say is that a L5R minis game is most certainly not impossible, but it also depends on a lot of other factors, like how Runewars ends up working, for example, but also how well the "secondary" L5R stuff does (currently, Battle for Rokugan and the RPG).

Nowadays FFG completely owns the IP (as much as they do Terrinoth), so they'll be trying to milk it as much as possible. Both BfR and the RPG are the first tentative steps outside the LCG (which, given the rate I'm having to translate stuff, has been very successful so far), and FFG's plans will vary accordingly to the relative success of those.

All that said, a reprint of the original Clan War ruleset is... probably not going to happen, ever (I liked it a lot, though, enough to translate it the whole shebang just to have people to play with).

Personally I'd like a mass battle game, preferably using 15mm minis because at that size you can still do recognizable special characters, and were they to work as they did in Clan War they would b almost perfect.
   
Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






Do 15mm scale with 32mm scale characters, because the characters in Rokugan were larger than life.

Or they could just represent the character and their retinue with one larger model.

   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





West Michigan, deep in Whitebread, USA

I have a buddy that is a big L5R fan, and to get him to play some minis wargames with me I was just going to use Song of Blades and Heroes along with the plastic Warlord company samurai to play skirmish games. Probably add in my Skaven as a Nezumi force, either as a warband armed by one of the houses or throw in the Ogroid Thamaturge from Silver Tower as an Oni leading a Shadowlands force.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/20 06:01:52




"By this point I'm convinced 100% that every single race in the 40k universe have somehow tapped into the ork ability to just have their tech work because they think it should."  
   
Made in us
[MOD]
Solahma






RVA

Try the Test of Honor rules from Warlord. The starter is a great deal. You and your bud can easily paint up the WGF samurai and ashigaru in L5R livery.

   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






Zenit Miniatures has some nice 32mm figures for their Kensei miniature game. One advantage of their line is they have many supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore which will find a role in a L5R-style game. Similarly, they have an Undead army that can serve as the basis for a Shadowland horde.

Noble Knight Games has some of the original AEG Clan War figures and rulebooks.

John Prins' idea of using generic figures in a hypothetical FFG Clan War reboot is a good one. Clan-specific elements could be cast separately, so one could buy sprues of Crane Clan helmets and shoulder pads (for example) and then build the basic figures with the custom parts. However, I'd like specific sculpts for the Crab. The CCG art had the Crab in the bulkier Gempei War armor which gave them an old fashioned look compared to the Lion and the Crane who were wearing the newer styles inspired by the sengoku jidai.

Unfortunately, I think Easy E's post on what FFG would do with L5R minis game is accurate ...

 AegisGrimm wrote:
I have a buddy that is a big L5R fan, and to get him to play some minis wargames with me I was just going to use Song of Blades and Heroes along with the plastic Warlord company samurai to play skirmish games. Probably add in my Skaven as a Nezumi force, either as a warband armed by one of the houses or throw in the Ogroid Thamaturge from Silver Tower as an Oni leading a Shadowlands force.

Kings of War: Abyssal Dwarves, Dwarves, Elves, Undead, Northern Alliance [WiP], Nightstalkers [WiP]
Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in de
Primus





Palmerston North

I would love a 15mm Mass battles game with metal minis of the same quality and style of Ralpartha's Demonworld.

So, my hope for a L5R game is that FFG outsource it.
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

Ronin (Osprey), Daishu (Ministry of gentlemanly Gamers, or Song of Blades and Heroes (Ganesha Games) could probably be used as a base for a good L5R skirmish.

For larger battles something like Dragon Rampant (Osprey) or Kings of War (Mantic) could be used now.

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Longtime Dakkanaut




I wouldn't want one.

It would be on the market for maybe a hot year, year and a half before its unsupported and or dead.

Same prediction for Star Wars Legion. Though it may last a little longer, cause star wars.

Standard FFG procedure. Not here to hate on FFG, but this is what they do.

I would want someone else to create it. As mentioned, it will be a star wars rune wars mash combo with the special dice

Look at Rune Wars as an example. The last product release was Nov 24th. The Uthak tribe or whatever its called separate boxes is "At the printer" still from its core box.

They killed their own game with their ADD.
   
Made in es
Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer






str00dles1 wrote:
I would want someone else to create it.


That, simply put, is not going to happen.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/20 20:50:16


 
   
Made in us
[MOD]
Solahma






RVA

Yes, the whole point of buying the license was to move away from being a licenseholder publisher - cannot imagine FFG is interested in being a licensor to other publishers. So we can expect tokens and proprietary dice and upgrade cards and maybe even combat dials. SW Legion avoided the dials so maybe we can give that one a miss.

   
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Dakka Veteran






 John Prins wrote:
Just remake Clan War. My Defenders of the Wall are ready.

I loved Clan War when it was in production. They way they canceled it overnight left such a bad taste in my mouth I'd be very hesitant to buy into another L5R miniatures game.

And yes, there should be generic models, this is absolutely a no brainer. It makes it so much easier to produce plastic infantry kits for every army. Generic spearmen, bowmen, cavalry, heavy infantry.

I think this was a problem with the old game. Every faction had different miniatures for generic units. I was friends with the owner of my FLGS when the game was out, and he did complain about how many SKUs he had to stock for the game.

Just give each army specific bonuses to their generic troopers and not include clan specific units that have that same function (and as Ancestral Hamster mentioned, be slightly better than the generics).

Not sure this is even necessary. In the old game, every faction had units that were truly unique to each. Give everyone access to generic swordsmen, spearmen and archers, then add the special figures for "flavor" units for each clan.

   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





West Michigan, deep in Whitebread, USA

 Manchu wrote:
Try the Test of Honor rules from Warlord. The starter is a great deal. You and your bud can easily paint up the WGF samurai and ashigaru in L5R livery.


Yup, that's the game whose minis I was looking at. I know you can get large packs of the same minis repackaged for the Pike and Shotte game, now. The basic 25 dollar warband box would be great for two cheap warbands of minis if using the Song of Blades and Heroes rules.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/20 22:48:31




"By this point I'm convinced 100% that every single race in the 40k universe have somehow tapped into the ork ability to just have their tech work because they think it should."  
   
Made in es
Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer






 Manchu wrote:
Yes, the whole point of buying the license was to move away from being a licenseholder publisher - cannot imagine FFG is interested in being a licensor to other publishers. So we can expect tokens and proprietary dice and upgrade cards and maybe even combat dials. SW Legion avoided the dials so maybe we can give that one a miss.


Important clarification: FFG has not bought the license. They've bought the IP wholesale. All of it, forever and ever, or at least until they decide to sell it themselves (I know that's what you meant, this is just to use the correct terminology).

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/21 10:18:04


 
   
Made in us
[MOD]
Solahma






RVA

Haha, yes that's what I meant - thanks for pointing that out!

   
Made in gb
Fixture of Dakka






 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
Zenit Miniatures has some nice 32mm figures for their Kensei miniature game. One advantage of their line is they have many supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore which will find a role in a L5R-style game. Similarly, they have an Undead army that can serve as the basis for a Shadowland horde.


They're just about to release Spanish troops for the game too, if you fancied an Legend of the 5 Rings / 7th Sea crossover
   
Made in de
Longtime Dakkanaut




No custom dice ... use regular D6 (or possibly some generic D8, etc..)
No custom movement thingies, dials, etc..
Ideally no tokens
Don't spread rules around little cardboard cards and don't bundle them with the miniatures, just put them in as few books (core rules, army books, etc..) as possible, including rules for planned future releases

   
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Where ever the Emperor needs his eyes

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
Zenit Miniatures has some nice 32mm figures for their Kensei miniature game. One advantage of their line is they have many supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore which will find a role in a L5R-style game. Similarly, they have an Undead army that can serve as the basis for a Shadowland horde.


They're just about to release Spanish troops for the game too, if you fancied an Legend of the 5 Rings / 7th Sea crossover


Or if you want to do the Battle of White Stag.
   
Made in de
Primus





Palmerston North

Sunny Side Up wrote:
No custom dice ... use regular D6 (or possibly some generic D8, etc..)
No custom movement thingies, dials, etc..
Ideally no tokens
Don't spread rules around little cardboard cards and don't bundle them with the miniatures, just put them in as few books (core rules, army books, etc..) as possible, including rules for planned future releases



It is L5R, so I would prefer D10s.

That way I can justify getting some L5R D10s from Poland.

Old Clan War used D10s and although I think the Daimyo edition is largely unplayable, that had nothing to do with the D10s.
   
Made in es
Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer






 StygianBeach wrote:
Sunny Side Up wrote:
No custom dice ... use regular D6 (or possibly some generic D8, etc..)
No custom movement thingies, dials, etc..
Ideally no tokens
Don't spread rules around little cardboard cards and don't bundle them with the miniatures, just put them in as few books (core rules, army books, etc..) as possible, including rules for planned future releases



It is L5R, so I would prefer D10s.

That way I can justify getting some L5R D10s from Poland.

Old Clan War used D10s and although I think the Daimyo edition is largely unplayable, that had nothing to do with the D10s.

It was most certainly not unplayable IMHO, and even to this day is still one of the games with the best rules for characters.
   
Made in de
Primus





Palmerston North

 Albertorius wrote:

It was most certainly not unplayable IMHO, and even to this day is still one of the games with the best rules for characters.


The first edition is overly complicated, but by the time the Daimyo edition drops the rules are a mess.

It has been a few years since I have read through them, but I remember the skirmish, command group and flying rules were all far too complicated.
Also the shooting arcs for horsearchers and the ability to store Tactical cards just gave me the impression that the Daimyo edition requires that the players spend half the game checking rules.

So, while I havn't actually played a game, I can only imagine that having 3 movement phases must be tedious.

The game does feel appropriatly L5R though, but I think it needs some alterations to become properly playable. (Like dropping the 180 degree shooting arc for horsearchers which ran diagonally through the horsearchers base.)

I do like the character duels. Very cinematic.


   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

D10s with some sort of roll and Keep mechanism for units would be fun and keep with L5R style systems.

However, I am pretty sure the new L5R RPG does something different with the dice rolling now, but I may be misremebering that bit.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/26 16:27:35


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Ruthless Rafkin






Glen Burnie, MD

Skirmish combat!



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 Easy E wrote:
D10s with some sort of roll and Keep mechanism for units would be fun and keep with L5R style systems.

However, I am pretty sure the new L5R RPG does something different with the dice rolling now, but I may be misremebering that bit.


Now days its yet another of those FFG proprietary dice games I think.
   
 
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